National Issues
NIGERIA AND DILEMMA OF HER DEMOCRACY
Except for the holiday declared by the Federal Government to commemorate the nation’s democracy day, no sufficient impacts of democracy had been felt by people. Nigerians are not really happy. Instead of people being happy, discontent and disaffection are visible everywhere due to the observed dysfuctionality in the various sectors of the economy and due to glaring evidence of poor governance in most states of the federation.
Three years into the Buhari’s administration, people have reasons to groan. There is widespread poverty every where. Though, the statistics released by the government made us to believe that the economic growth is back and consolidating. Yet, there are clear indications that people are suffering seriously.
The unfortunate reality is that the claim by the government that inflation has fallen for the fifteenth (15) consecutive months from 18.7 percent in January 2017 to 12.5 percent as of April 2018 had not really had direct positive impacts on the citizens and purchasing power of Nigeria’s currency.
The story of our nation is that of a country practising democracy without genuine democrats. Across the country, we have governors without democratic credentials. These greedy and selfish governors are still owing workers despite the fact that Buhari’s admistration had extended more than 1.9 trillion naira to State governments to enable them meet their salary and pension obligations especially in the face of dwindling oil revenues over the last two years.
It is disheartening that the federal government had not succeeded in suppressing the menace of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen completely despite the military campaign and international support so far mobilized. However, the commitment of the present government to halt the menace cannot be underestimated.
In terms of education financing, the government has not in my view scored a pass mark. When one evaluates the quality of Nigeria’s education system, it is abysmally low. The prevailing situation across the country is that most institutions including public and private ones lack the quality personnel and facilities for effective teaching, research and community services. Worse still, factors of dissatisfies such as irregular payment of salaries and allowances of workers, arbitrary delay in giving promotion to deserving workers and lack of opportunity for training and development have made many of the Universities and Polytechnics staff to be unproductive and inefficient.
By measure of Nigeria performance in international relations, the efforts of President Muhammed Buhari in this respect are worthy of commendation particularly with bilateral agreements signed with China, United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Morocco, Switzerland and United Arab Emirate (UAE). Yet, the average Nigerians are still striving to feel the direct positive impacts of all these bilateral agreements.
One other cause of dilemma as the nation’s democracy grows is the issue of local government autonomy. In the present democracy, local governments are mere appendage of the states. It can no longer be regarded as a third tier of government. The Buhari’s administration will do the country good, if the local government can be made to be autonomous through constitutional and legislative processes.
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Despite the earlier pointed dilemmas, it will be unjust not to commend the present administration effort in fighting the war against corruption. The way the government has been handling it’s whistle blowing policy gives hope for a better future for the country. By extension, the fiscal reforms and plugging leackages in government finances are part of areas where Buhari’s admistration had succeeded.
Again, executive recklessness and excesses continue to jeopardise the practice of democracy in the country as observed through the conducts of most of the state governors. With the enthronment and sustainability of democratic norms, principles and institutions in our country , the good people of Nigeria ought to have began reaping the fruits of democracy. Also, the governors of states have become overlords such that most of them now control the state Assemblies of their respective states. It will be difficult for any state to experience good governance where governors would not allow the state assemblies perform their legislative functions without interference. Most of the states House of Assemblies are toothless bull dogs. The National Assembly that ought to offer a sort of solace are also operating as enemies of democracy. The current National Assembly are dominated by brigandages.
In the present order, most members of the National Assembly give preference to oversight functions at the detriment of primary legislative responsibilities. This is a country where legislators feel the only measure of their performance is through empowerment projects. Obviously, the so called empowerment programmes are nothing but ruse. Until when true democrats in terms of ideological inclination and practices are encouraged to venture into politics, our lamentation will continue. Except we also allow people with sound minds and ideologically inclined enjoy the opportunities to occupy elective positions, people will continue to groan and our democracy will remain in a state of dilemma.
Rahaman Onike
An author and public administrator,
writes from Oyo, Oyo State.
Amid rising killings and a wave of mass abductions by gunmen and suspected terrorists across the country, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency.
The President, in a statement personally signed and released in Abuja, also ordered an immediate expansion of the manpower of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Government rushes to halt the worsening insecurity.
“Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces,” Tinubu said.
“By this declaration, the police and the army are authorised to recruit more personnel. The police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000.”
Tinubu explained that he had already approved upgrades of police training facilities nationwide and authorised the use of selected National Youth Service Corps camps as police training depots.
He added that officers withdrawn from VIP guard duties would undergo “crash training” before being redeployed to areas battling heightened insecurity.
The President also directed the Department of State Services to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests across the country. The DSS was further authorised to recruit additional personnel.
“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil. This is a national emergency. We are deploying more boots on the ground, especially in vulnerable communities. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we must all get involved in securing our nation,” he said.
Tinubu commended security agencies for jointly securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State. He assured that efforts were ongoing to rescue students of Catholic schools in Niger State and other kidnapped Nigerians still in captivity.
“To the leadership and rank and file of our Armed Forces, I commend your courage and sacrifice. This is a challenging moment for our nation and for the military itself. I charge you to remain resolute, restore peace across all theatres of operation, and uphold the highest standards of discipline. There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he added.
The President announced that the Federal Government would support state governments operating community-based security outfits.
Tinubu also urged the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws that would allow states seeking to establish their own police forces to do so.
He warned states against maintaining boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security and advised churches and mosques in vulnerable areas to engage security agencies when organising large gatherings.
On the lingering farmer–herder clashes, Tinubu restated that the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development would provide long-term solutions. He appealed to herders to embrace ranching, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons.
“I sympathise with the families who have lost their loved ones in recent attacks on soft targets in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara states. I also pay tribute to our brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba,” he said.
Warning criminal groups not to undermine the state, Tinubu emphasised that his administration possessed the resolve and capacity to secure the country.
“Fellow compatriots, I urge you not to give in to fear or despair. Stand firm to defend our freedom and values. Our administration will continue to guarantee peaceful co-existence and preserve our union.”
He called on citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with security agencies.
Tinubu’s declaration came amid nationwide outrage after the killing of at least five people in Kebbi and Kwara states, and the abduction of over 300 schoolchildren from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State.
The Presidency on Monday said the United States Government has expressed readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria through enhanced intelligence sharing, supply of defence equipment and other support to boost ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
It said the commitment followed a series of engagements held last week in Washington, DC, between a high-level Nigerian delegation and top US officials aimed at strengthening bilateral security ties and opening new areas of collaboration.
The delegation, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with senior officials from the US Congress, White House Faith Office, State Department, National Security Council and the Department of War.
Other members of the delegation included the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and two representatives from the Office of the NSA.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian team used the engagements to debunk allegations of genocide in the country, insisting that violent attacks cut across religious and ethnic divides.
Onanuga said the delegation also rejected what it described as the “wrongful framing” of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that such portrayals risked further dividing citizens and misrepresenting realities on the ground.
“The discussions provided ample opportunity to correct misconceptions about Nigeria, forged a constructive, solution-driven partnership with the United States, reinforced mutual trust, and advanced a coordinated approach to protecting vulnerable communities, especially in the Middle Belt,” the statement read.
He added that the US expressed willingness to offer complementary support, including humanitarian assistance to affected populations in the Middle Belt and technical aid to strengthen early-warning mechanisms.
Onanuga said both countries agreed to immediately implement a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate agreed areas of collaboration. Nigeria, he added, reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing civilian protection measures.
“The Federal Government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” he stated.
The development comes weeks after former US President Donald Trump threatened to deploy American forces to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the government failed to halt what he described as the killing of Christians.
Trump, who also designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution, had on his Truth Social platform accused the government of allowing the “mass slaughter” of Christians and warned that Washington could cut aid and take military action.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” he wrote, adding that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for possible operations.
But President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly dismissed claims of genocide against Christians, maintaining that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, tolerance and the protection of all citizens regardless of faith.
Suspected bandits have abducted four rice farmers in Bokungi community, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while the victims were working on their farms during the peak of the harvest season. It came barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of the state, killing two worshippers and abducting several others.
According to sources, the attackers stormed the farms suddenly and surrounded the farmers as they gathered their harvested rice.
“It has been confirmed that bandits struck again at Bokungi under the Lafiagi Emirate. Four people were abducted. Information is still emerging,” the sources said.
Residents said the gunmen operated for several minutes without resistance, forcing the farmers into a nearby bush before whisking them away to an unknown location.
Community members also lamented rising insecurity in Edu LGA, noting that several farming settlements had been abandoned as farmers now fear venturing out during the harvest period when they are most vulnerable.
The Kwara State Police Command and the state government had yet to comment on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
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